Civics and Government

Which one of the following describes a representative democracy?

• In Country B, laws are made by a sovereign king and are subject to no review.

• In Country C, laws are made by Congress, an elected group of representatives.

• In Country D, laws are made by the vote of all citizens.

• In Country A, laws are made and administered by lords who inherit their lands and titles.

The Founding Fathers of the United States--

• sought to establish the power of the king of England in the United States.

• were concerned about protecting the rights of individuals.

• argued that the United States should adopt a system of direct democracy.

• thought representatives from the United States should sit in Parliament.

The chief historical model for the U.S. Congress was--

• Athenian council of citizens

• Magna Carta

• Parliament of England

• Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen adopted in France in 1789

Which of the following was most likely a constitutional monarchy?

• the ancient city-state of Athens

• any country ruled by fascism

• the United States at the time of its founding

• England during the Age of Enlightenment

If the United States were a parliamentary democracy, which of the following would be most likely to occur?

• The office of the president would decrease in power.

• The office of the president would increase in power.

• The president would be elected by a majority vote of all citizens.

• The president would be appointed by the majority party in parliament.

Which of the following is the main characteristic of a republic?

• voting rights extended to few adult citizens

• elected representatives exercising government power on behalf of citizens

• people governing themselves by voting directly on all issues

• power concentrated among a small group

The Constitution is a relatively brief document containing only about seven thousand words. It establishes the structure and powers of the U.S. government but does not give many specifics. What assumption were the drafters of the Constitution working under as they kept the document general and brief?

• There was not enough time to draft a long, detailed document before the states had to ratify it.

• Most of the power of the federal government would be reserved to the president, who could govern as he saw fit.

• The details of government would be worked out in the future, as the need arose, within the framework of the Constitution.

• Written constitutions were an untested basis for democratic government, so it was better to keep such a document brief.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt was elected to the presidency four times between 1933 and 1945. In reaction to this, the Twenty-second Amendment, ratified in 1951, allowed presidents a maximum of two terms in office. People who favored presidential term limits would most likely have valued which of the following?

• responsibility but no authority

• authority but no responsibility

• the power of an office, not an individual

• the power of an individual, not an office

Which is an example of the supremacy clause in action?

• Congress voting to appropriate $2 billion for a federal highways program

• The Environmental Protection Agency issuing new regulations on a pollutant

• The U.S. Supreme Court refusing to hear a case

• The U.S. Supreme Court declaring an Illinois state law unconstitutional

The key characteristic of federalism is--

• division of power between national and state governments

• concentration of power in one government

• concentration of power at the local level

• a judicial system with trial, appellate, and supreme courts